Canada
is the first U.S. ally to link up on a new protected military
communication network intended to meet increasing global demand on secure
bandwidth.

Lockheed Martin, which introduced the satellite network
called Advanced Extremely High Frequency for defense operations, said
Canada has begun a test period with multiple terminals linked to the
system.

Military communications are still seen to be at a high level despite
the U.S. drawdown from Afghanistan and reduced responsibilities in Iraq
and other defense-related operations, including the Persian Gulf and areas
near Iran, analysts said.

The U.S. Air Force has been allowing select groups to use AEHF for
testing as it fields the system, but the expansion means more users could
soon have access. Britain and some NATO members are known to be the next
candidates likely to join the network, security industry analysts said.

A single AEHF satellite provides greater total capacity than the entire
five-satellite Milstar system it will replace. It is being touted as a
joint service satellite communications system that will provide
survivable, global, secure, protected and jam-resistant communications for
high-priority military ground, sea and air assets for U.S. forces and
international partners.

A U.S.-Canada team recently communicated successfully with the AEHF-1
satellite using a variant of the SMART-T terminal from a location near
Ottawa, Canada, Lockheed Martin said.

AEHF-1 is said to be the first of six spacecraft to be launched as part
of the AEHF program. The first was launched in 2010, the second in May
2012 and a third is due to be launched from Florida in September.

Each aircraft is said to have a design life of up to 14 years.

In the Canadian tests, users exchanged data with USAF's fourth Space
Operations Squadron located at Schriever Air Force Base, Colo.

In later exercises, U.S. personnel supported Canadian forces as they
tested multiple naval multi-band IP-variant terminals to exchange data
over AEHF networks.